Head coach Steve Cooper was pleased Nottingham Forest managed to clinch a positive result in front of owner Evangelos Marinakis.
The Greek businessman was in the stands at the City Ground to watch Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City. He leapt out of his seat and punched the air when Chris Wood bagged the equaliser which secured a crucial point for the Reds.
Afterwards, Cooper and Marinakis took time to chat, with the Forest boss apologising profusely for being late to his post-match press conference as a result. The pair had plenty to talk about after an eighth Premier League match unbeaten at the City Ground.
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O'Brien latest
Blackburn Rovers say the “legal process” in their bid to sign Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien remains ongoing.
The 24-year-old had been due to join the Championship side on loan for the rest of the season, in a deal which would also include a purchase clause should promotion be achieved. However, an issue over the timing of the paperwork being filed before the January transfer deadline meant the switch was not approved by the English Football League.
Rovers submitted an appeal and the case has now been moved to an independent arbitrator. O’Brien, meanwhile, remains in limbo, although he does have interest from a number of MLS clubs.
Rovers said in a statement: “Blackburn Rovers can provide the following update to supporters regarding its ongoing attempts to find a positive resolution to its January transfer activity when two registration applications (O’Brien and Ethan Brierley) were rejected following the closure of the transfer window.
Wood's delight
Chris Wood was delighted to open his Nottingham Forest account, having been keen to “be part of something that is different” when he made the decision to join the club.
The striker clinched a vital point for the Reds as he came off the bench to net an equaliser against Manchester City on Saturday. It came after a purchase obligation clause in his loan deal from Newcastle United had been triggered by the three previous starts he had made for Steve Cooper ’s side.
There was the lure of potentially being involved in this weekend’s Carabao Cup final with the Magpies, had Wood remained at St James’ Park. The 31-year-old will still be at Wembley to support his former teammates, the day after Forest’s clash with West Ham United, but has no regrets about making the move south.
“This goal was a nice consolation,” he said, amid talk about the cup final. “I’m here to play football and be part of something that is different.
Hammers blow
West Ham attacker Jarrod Bowen could miss this weekend's meeting with Nottingham Forest at the London Stadium.
The 26-year-old suffered a late injury during the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham in north London following a hefty challenge late on in the game. Bowen was not subbed off but he was moving in what appeared to be significant discomfort.
After the game, Moyes said he did not know the exact nature of the issue, or how long he will be absent. But he could well miss Saturday's game against the Reds, which kicks off at 3pm.
“I’ve not checked it. I thought it was a poor decision that it wasn’t a yellow card,” Moyes told football.london after the final whistle. “I thought it was very simple. We’re now giving bookings where we’re seeing somebody touch somebody’s toes by a couple of inches, if you know what I mean.
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